Learning To Love
by HPprincess1152
Summary: Draco Malfoy must return to Hogwarts for his final year and unintentionally learns that you can't choose who you fall in love with. New rating M for possible future scenes.
1. Chapter 1

Draco Malfoy was annoyed. Not because the Slytherin's were suddenly friends with more Gryffindor's and Ravenclaw's, no. He was okay with that. Ever since his mother rescued Harry Potter and Draco saw that the Dark Lord was not as amazing as he grew up believing, Draco and his mother were happy to interact with those they once believed unsatisfactory. That did not mean that his mother was happy when she found out Draco began dating Astoria Greengrass, but that's another story for another day.

Draco Malfoy was annoyed because he was 18 years old and at Hogwarts for Christmas because his parents thought it was best if he did not bring his girlfriend home for the holidays. But he didn't feel the need to correct them and tell them that he had broken up with her because she was too safe and boring, so he told them he would stay in the castle for the holidays. The part that bothered him the most was that he was stuck wandering around Hogwarts while Potter and Weasley were off in their apartment with their families because they were "trusted members of society" and they were asked to be a part of the Ministry almost immediately. Not Draco Malfoy, the son of a Death Eater. He had to prove to the wizarding community that he really changed and somehow, finishing his final year of school was going to change their minds. As far as he knew, there were very few students staying at the castle this year. He took it upon himself to take care of the younger Slytherin students during the holiday and get the house elves to bring their meals to the common room so those who lost their families could still feel like they were part of one. He didn't want the younger students to feel the way he did when his family was on the bottom of the Death Eaters.

Today was Christmas though, and Draco wasn't feeling very festive. He knew staying in the dorms would make him even less festive and woke up early; hardly having slept. Knowing that hardly anyone would be in the library, that was where he was headed first. A quiet trip, Draco didn't even pass one of the house ghosts, although he had expected to at least see the Bloody Baron wandering around.

He didn't realize it until he had selected his book, _Quidditch Through the Ages,_ but Draco was not alone in the library. Sitting in the back was a thin girl with fiery red hair down to her waist, nose buried in a book and twisting one long strand around her finger, nail painted a dark black. Draco couldn't help but notice her beauty and took a sharp breath noticing that it was the youngest Weasley he found himself attracted to. Before the war, he never would have allowed himself to take in her beauty and if he happened to notice, he would be extra hard on himself for finding a blood traitor attractive. _The war is over, you can find someone attractive no matter their blood now_. Draco perked up a little bit. If the Granger girl weren't wearing a ring, he would have tried to get to know her better. While he had no intentions of taking Potter's seconds, he knew it wouldn't hurt to flirt with her as the newfound man he was.

Walking silently so as not to alert her, Draco slid into the chair across from her. "Why are you here, Weasley? Shouldn't you be with the Magical Potter?" Ginny, he worked hard to keep his face straight at the awful name, looked up at the visitor.

"No. Harry and I are still finding our footing now that we can date without the threat of war to keep things interesting. I do not need to join him for Christmas." She was curt, clearly Draco had touched a nerve.

"Then perhaps the rest of your family? My parents did not wish for me to come home this year." Draco was unsure why he was revealing his secret to someone he grew up learning to hate. His house was unaware of the true reasoning, they all believed he was trying to prove that he had changed and he pretended to not feel hurt by their assumptions.

Weasley's face softened at the confession and her hand fluttered slightly on her book. To anyone who was not used to looking for small signals, they would not have seen it. Draco did and felt oddly encouraged to continue to speaking to her beyond the flirting he had been planning.

"I understand. I chose to stay away from my family this year. Instead of the large Weasley Christmas festivities, my immediate family and their significant other's will be feasting at the Potter/Weasley flat. Not something I wanted to be a part of." She gave him a small smile, signalling she knew he would understand. Draco felt an odd sensation in his stomach, one he was feeling often since the end of the war. He believed it could be a small bit of empathy for the girl. Suddenly, Draco was feeling very festive.

"Come with me. I think I can find something to take your mind off what today really is." Draco stood up and left the book where it was on the table. The Weasley girl looked concerned, then he noticed her glance around and see that they were the only ones out. She stood and left her book where it was as well, along with her rucksack. "Where you working on homework?"

"Not really. I write for the prophet sometimes, I'm hoping I can report on Quidditch for them after I'm done here."

"Have they published anything?" Genuinely curious, Draco wasn't sure he knew what made this girl give up his womanizing ways as he was no longer concerned with flirting with her, or more, but concerned about making her forget that she was not with her family for the first time in 17 years.

Ginny shook her head no as they ascended the staircases to get to the astronomy tower. Knowing she knew, Draco had a genuine fear that she would be concerned with his choice of safe haven. The place where he knew his life had changed. Making the decision to lower his wand against Albus Dumbledore made Draco realize that what had been drilled into his brain since a young child was wrong and that he did not want to murder anyone. He knew the girl would not have purposely killed during the Battle and hoped she would understand. Whether she knew where he was taking her or not, she didn't question him or ask why she should trust him. She just did and he knew it was a gift from a kind, caring young woman.

When they arrived to the Astronomy classroom, seldom used after what happened to the Headmaster, Draco lit a fire in the fireplace and waved his wand so that the candles along the walls would light as well. He looked at Ginny and saw her looking out the window, hugging herself to keep warm. With her back turned, Draco waved his wand twice more, once producing a beautifully decorated Christmas tree and the second time producing a table with festive decorations and decorations surrounding the classroom. Draco looked up to see her standing there with a small smile on her face and then he noticed what she was wearing. Draco had seen them before, all the Weasley's had one. Ginny's hugged her in the waist and was a beautiful blue shade that complemented her hair while also making her pale skin look amazing.


	2. Chapter 2

"That's a beautiful shade on you, Ginevra."

Ginny was shocked that he knew her full name, but at the same time, her whole life was suddenly reported to the magical world by _The Daily Prophet_ when she began dating Harry. His pale skin looked slightly flushed after his compliment; surely, he meant it and Ginny felt the need to spend time with him and get to know who this man was after only hearing about the terrible things his family did and how they supported Voldemort. She brushed a piece of her hair out of her face and behind her ear, smiling slightly. It had been a while since she had heard a compliment by anyone but her mother. She never realized it, but she missed that. Harry had meant well, but he got so overwhelmed with his new auror job and trying to make their relationship perfect, without knowing how to do either without the threat of death looming over him. Being the one to break up with "The Chosen One" was not a good image to present to the media and she knew she would not do well at Hogwarts if the world knew, so she had to play the heartbroken girl who just happened to be part of his world without giving him much of a choice. Ginny would never tell her mother or her best friend, Hermione Granger-Weasley, but she was glad to stay at school for the holidays.

"Thank you, Draco. It's the first year I've not had to pose with my large family with our matching sweaters."

Draco smiled and pulled a chair closer to the fire for them to sit. He motioned for her to sit and she did, noticing his small smile as she did. "I don't have a large family. We have such a large mansion, and only the three of us and our house elves. I didn't even see my father much before, but it, impossibly, is less now that he is on house arrest. I'm close with my mother though; she makes us hot cocoa and will light a fire and pull up chairs like this, and then we sit and read or listen to the radio."

"It sounds like you live in a beautiful, large mansion but you're lonely. Believe it or not, I get lonely living in my overcrowded house. It got worse when Ron got married and left, because now it's just me and my parents there now. Harry would come and see me, but eventually it felt like he was doing it more so because he feels like he owes my family for everything they've ever done for him." She found herself getting more comfortable around Draco, he seemed to be reaching out for someone to talk to about his life. As she looked at him, she curled her legs up in the chair and turned to face him slightly. He relaxed into his chair as well, looking rather handsome in his dark green sweater. She began to really look at Draco Malfoy, a boy she was told to never go near. But he looked worn out, older than his 18 years, and she knew he understood the need to keep up appearances.

"Mother is great, father is a bit terrifying. I just wish I had someone to talk to other than the elves and Mother. Crabbe and Goyle were good henchmen, but I couldn't have actual conversations with them. Hardly with any of the Slytherin's. I try to help the younger students; be there for them and let them know that just because there was a stigma, doesn't mean you have to be a bad wizard." He smirked and looked over at her, "Do you think I'm a bad wizard?" He waved his wand and a house-elf appeared, "Will you please go to the kitchen and bring us some hot cocoa and something to eat?"

Ginny looked at him, she never thought he'd be so polite to a house-elf. Harry told her about how Dobby, the elf Harry freed, had been treated by the Malfoys'. Before she could say anything, the elf came back with cocoa and a tray full of sandwiches and treats. Malfoy thanked the elf and handed Ginny a sandwich. She hadn't realized how hungry she was and took a bite, savoring the roast beef sandwich. Draco must have taken her hunger as a yes because he plopped three marshmallows in each cup and began eating a sandwich himself.

"I noticed the shock on your face when I called you Ginevra. Were you confused that I knew your full name or that I used it?"

Ginny took a very deliberate sip before responding, "I like it, but I'm not used to it. I also was mildly surprised that you knew my full name, but then again, I was all over the gossip pages of the _Prophet_ after the war and the break-up. But that's what I signed up for. I wanted to be with Harry and my brother is his best friend."

"If you wanted to be with him, why did you break up with him?" Ginny took a large gulp of her hot cocoa and looked at Draco, attempting to find something personal to bring up with him but couldn't think of anything.

"Because the war wasn't taking up his time. He didn't know how to balance a normal life." Draco nodded slowly and nibbled on a biscuit. Ginny knew he understood. He may have grown up with a normal family, they were always so concerned about how the magical world saw them and helping Voldemort when he came back into power. She involuntarily shuddered thinking about how it was Draco's father, Lucius, that slipped her the diary and allowed Voldemort to possess her for almost a full year. Ginny and Draco slipped into a peaceful quiet and finished their biscuits and cocoa in front of the fire.

Eventually the fire died down and Ginny had finished her cocoa, knowing that her quiet time with Draco Malfoy was almost over; she was startled to discover that she was not very happy that they would part ways and she would go back to the quiet Gryffindor tower, where she would read the book Hermione had given her for Christmas and wonder what was happening at the Burrow. Draco had a sad look on her face and Ginny wondered if he missed his family or if he was upset that their time was coming to an end as well. She thought about asking him but didn't think they were to the point where she could ask him such things.

"Draco? Do you want to walk to the kitchens with me?" He smiled and held the door for her on their way out.


	3. Chapter 3

"Would you prefer that I call you Ginny or Ginevra?" Draco was careful to be respectful of her, he was raised to be a gentleman after all. No matter how badly she made him want to grab her and kiss her, he wouldn't touch her unless he knew she would be okay with it.

"Are we at a level where you can call me either, Draco? After all, I did date your nemesis and am a bloodtraitor." She smirked and glanced at Draco, he found himself grinning back at her. He knew she was good with a batbogey hex and always had a smart remark ready, but he didn't expect it to turn to him so quickly. He reached up and tickled the pear for the kitchens, thinking about being the Draco that would quickly say something that would make any proper girl blush. But Ginny Weasley was no proper girl, her exploits before Harry were well known.

"I would like us to be. As for the bloodtraitor thing, you may be one, but I may be a fullblooded prick." He held the door open for Ginny again and he saw the look in her eye, appreciation and curiosity. His goal would now be to show her that he could change and understand what she was feeling.

Ginny politely asked a house-elf to get them both a cup of cocoa and then turned to another, better-groomed elf. He heard Potter's name and assumed that it must still be his elf, but was confused as to why it would still be at Hogwarts. Draco sat at the table that would be the Slytherin table in the Great Hall, he looked around and watched the house-elves work. Even now, at twelve a.m., they were hard at work cooking and cleaning. Draco recalled how he would sit in the beautiful kitchen in the mansion and watch their house-elf work before his father beat him senseless for it. After that, he was always rude to them in public but would personally apologize every night in his room. He was so lost in his memories that he hadn't noticed Ginny sit next to him and was sitting cross-legged on the bench. "What are you doing, silly girl?"

"I thought it would be nicer to sit close and drink our cocoa like you and your mom would. Would you like me to move?"

"No. I just didn't expect you to sit next to me."

"Why are you so polite to me? Why were you so polite to the house-elves?" He noticed the bridge of her nose grow pink and, like when he brothers were angered, the tops of her ears slightly reddened too. She quickly grabbed her mug and sipped her cocoa quickly, embarrassed.

"I was raised to be a gentleman. Even though my father and mother are not always polite, I learned a lot while the Dark Lord was in charge. It's not pleasant to be belittled about something you can't help." He quickly took a drink of his cocoa and saw the opportunity to ask her a question while she was quiet. "Is that Potter's house-elf?" Ginny sighed and rolled her eyes before putting her now empty mug down.

"No. But it is one that I visited often after I returned. She always made me food and would listen to me talk about my feelings. I felt bad and I was the one who "broke the Chosen One's heart," not that it matters to him. He's been in his own world since he became an auror." Draco did something neither one of them expected, he reached over and put his hand on Ginny's knee while simultaneously using his other to pull her face so they were eye-to-eye.

"Ginevra. I am so sorry that Potter failed to cherish the way you deserved." He dropped his hand and removed the other from her knee, moving to stand now that they were done with their cocoa and he let his heart take over. "I'm sorry that I've now overstepped my bounds. I will walk you back to your tower." Draco's mind was back in charge. He opened the kitchen door for her, signaling that they were done. He hoped that she would agree to his request that they walk to castle grounds tomorrow afternoon. Draco found that he liked her company and hoped she did as well.

They walked for a few flights in silence and Draco longed to reach out and touch her long silky hair. He noticed that it swayed just slightly as she walked and when she flicked it over her shoulder, he smelled the flowery scent of her shampoo. Glancing at her from the corner of his eye, he noticed how beautiful she was, though he had noticed before. Her snarky attitude and honest mentality make him want to be with her, even as simply as this. Draco was contemplating touching her hand with his when they heard Filch coming their way; it was now or never. Draco grabbed Ginny's hand and pulled her into an empty classroom. He put his finger to his lips to indicate that she should be quiet, which she responded by rolling her eyes at him. Ginny moved to sit on a desk and waved her wand.

"So, are you going to hold my hand, ask me out, or kiss me? Just so I know what's going on here. Personally, I'm good with all three." Ginny walked up to Draco and draped her arm around his neck. "I'm known for making the first move. It'd be nice to be swept off my feet for once."

"I'm sorry, but how about I hold your hand on our way to your tower and then again tomorrow on a walk around the grounds? I want to treat you like the lady you are."


	4. Chapter 4

Draco's hand felt warm and solid, like Harry's, but it was also different. Ginny couldn't decide if it was better to hold his hand but she knew she liked it. As he held her hand, dipping between shadows on the way back to Gryffindor tower, Ginny knew that something was beginning and didn't know where it would take her.

That was always something Ginny liked about Harry, she knew exactly what he was thinking. She knew that with Harry, she would marry him, have some children, and have family dinners once a week. She loved the time when Voldemort was rising in power; there was always something to do, always something exciting going on with Harry. After he defeated Voldemort, they lived in bliss for a few months before Harry grew weary of the auror office. He was happy to not be "the Chosen One," "the boy who lived," or "Undesirable No. 1" but he missed the action of fighting and doing something. His days now consisted of hunting known death eaters, but that was taking up more of his time than ever before. It led to issues in their lives; Harry was still trying to be the hero of the wizarding world when she needed him to be her hero.

Draco, though; he was a different story all together. It's not that he was a hero, but he wasn't a villain either. Ginny knows her family hated him, as did Harry and Hermione, but the only thing he ever did to her was insult the love of her life. But Ginny didn't see a point in avoiding him; he deserves a chance at the love Ginny reserved for Harry. As far as Ginny was concerned, Draco was a rich, sheltered, misunderstood man that needed someone to help him see beyond his mansion.

While Ginny was musing between Harry and Draco, Draco held her hand and walked with her to the Gryffindor tower. As they stopped outside the portrait of the Fat Lady, Ginny realized she enjoyed her time with him and that she had seen a side of Draco that not many people get to see. She liked that Draco had a side to him he reserved only for those close to him. Ginny realized Draco was looking at her and she felt her face burn. He gave that lazy smirk of his that she was realizing was Draco's way of showing his pleasure.

"Can I help you, Malfoy?" Ginny teased. She smirked back and took her hand out of his to cross her arms. As she did so, she felt a tingle run down her back that she hadn't felt since the first time Harry ran his hand through her hair.

"Just curious if you can walk yourself to bed in such deep thought, Weasley."

"Oh, you noticed?" Ginny hoped that Draco would take her silence as trying to be sneaky, although this was proving to be incorrect. "I was just thinking about the last time a boy held my hand as we snuck through the castle. It's been a while. And I was thinking about how you deserve a chance."

"That's kind of you, Weasley. But we must continue this conversation tomorrow. Does a stroll around the grounds after lunch work for you? We can meet outside of the Great Hall."

Ginny rolled her eyes; "Everyone will see us walking around the grounds tomorrow. We might as well leave the Great Hall together too."

"Goodnight, Ginevra."

"Goodnight, Draco."

~The Next Day~

"Is that Malfoy at the Gryffindor table?"

"What does he want with Ginny?"

"Doesn't he know he can't harass Harry through her, now?"

Ginny heard the whispers as Draco walked over to her seat and then again as he walked with her across the room. She was unhappy with her classmates assuming things about her and Draco; she was 17 years old and therefore, able to make her own decisions. If that included Draco Malfoy, then there was no one to stop her.

"Thank you for accepting my wishes, Draco. Although I'm sure this will cause issues for you?"

"Nothing regarding you will cause issues for me, Ginevra. I told you I would treat you like a lady and if that includes walking across the Great Hall to escort you, then I will do so." He opened the door for her and walked as close to her as he could without touching her.

"Draco, would you like to hold my hand?" Ginny saw his face go slightly red, from her catching him wanting to hold her hand or because she asked and he wasn't prepared for it; but she did notice that he reached for her hand anyways.

"Ginevra, can I ask you a question?"

"Ask me anything. If I choose not to answer, I'll explain why I won't. Deal?"

"Why do I deserve a chance?" Draco gently prodded Ginny in the side with his arm to walk along the lake towards the Forbidden Forest. Ginny understood why he wanted to be so far from the castle; not only were they discussing personal matters, she was the princess of Gryffindor and he the prince of Slytherin.

"I can tell you are kind and that when you are yourself, gentle. I know you were shown love and I know you can show it as well. Even if you're a huge jerk, you aren't your parents. And you shouldn't be judged on what you did in times of crisis." The lake was frozen over and where they were walking, the snow-covered ground was untouched and glistening. Ginny had always loved the winter months and how beautiful the world was after fresh snow. "Why do you like to hold my hand so much?"

"I have envisioned so many things with you and holding your hand makes me feel like a normal person. Not like Draco Malfoy, son of a death eater who almost killed Albus Dumbledore. With you, I feel like Draco Malfoy, man whose life was derailed by the war and who is trying to gain some semblance of normalcy after years of being a stuck-up prick." They were near the forest now, and Ginny felt a cold chill as she imagined Harry dying in there with all the death eaters looking on. She couldn't help but wonder why Draco was not there if he was a death eater. "Are you cold?"

"I can't help but think of what happened here. There was so much turmoil and uncertainty." Draco gently steered her away from the forest and towards the castle again. She worried that this walk took a turn he was not expecting and it would ruin their day.

"I was supposed to be out here. But Crabbe… The Dark Lord may not have known love or friendship, but I considered Crabbe and Goyle my closest friends. Potter is the reason I'm alive and I took it very hard that I couldn't save myself or Crabbe." Ginny was so touched that Draco had opened up to her so easily, she stopped walking and pulled Draco to where he was looking at her. She was so overwhelmed by the fact that he opened up to her and was being so kind to her that she didn't know what to do. Ginny Weasley was experiencing feelings for Draco Malfoy while Harry Potter was busy hunting down death eaters.

"Why are you being so open with me?"

"I think you're beautiful, inside and out. I feel like I can be open with you in a way I've never been with anyone else."

"Draco, do you want to go to an empty classroom with me? It's a little cold out here and I want to kiss you."


	5. Chapter 5

~Author's Note~

This story took a little bit of a turn from where I originally imagined it. However; if you're in/or have been in a relationship, you know that there is romance but also sexual tension and the results of such. I've always imagined Ginny and Draco as the "playboy/girl" of Hogwarts and this is the result of such. These are teenagers/adults in the wizarding world and they're going to speak and behave as such. I really hope you like the direction this is taking and I promise, the beginning and this section will intertwine to be something that we all can enjoy. I began this journey as writing something I would love to see play out on screen, but also as something I would love to read. I really appreciate any feedback any of you have. Thanks, HPprincess1152

~Chapter 5~

"I will accompany you to an empty classroom, and while I would also like to kiss you, I don't want it to be from pity or overwhelming emotions. I don't want you to be with me because you miss Potter or want to try something new." Draco wanted to snog Ginny badly, but he knew he was right. She wasn't ready for Draco; not his love, his adoration, and especially not his passion. Not yet. "Ginevra, I told you I wanted to treat you like a lady and to do that, I must first woo you. And before that, I would like to get to know each other for who we truly are. Before yesterday, I have reason to believe you never even considered me for a partner. But I would be the one person to piss Potter off enough that he would quit his job and be your servant if it would keep you from me." Ginny sighed and Draco knew his point was made. And deep inside himself, he knew the second he snogged Ginny Weasley, he would do anything for her and be anything for her.

They had entered the castle at this point and were walking the grand staircase to the first empty room they could; a charms room as it turned out. While Draco turned his back and locked the door, Ginny hopped up on a table so that she would be eye-level with Draco and he noticed that Ginny Weasley was not going to silently give in as he imagined she had. She'd taken off the layers she'd been wearing, including her jumper. The only thing she was wearing now was a grey tank top that hugged her curves and drew his eyes to her shoulders, where her hair was gently resting and he could see a sprinkling of the Weasley freckles. While he also shed some of his layers, although not as many as Ginny, she called for a house-elf and asked it to bring some hot chocolate. When Draco was finished undressing and the cocoa brought, he lit a fire in the hearth and sat on a stool in front of Ginny.

"What are you doing, Ginevra?" His tone was not that of anger or frustration, but more of a relaxed yet weary one. Draco already knew that Ginny was trouble; not that of her brother's but her own unique brand. She was quick and a bit of a tease. She could simultaneously answer any question anyone asked while also making you feel as though she were speaking to you in the bedroom. She hadn't done so to Draco but he assumed she was about to.

"You warm up faster this way. And I'm more comfortable; aren't you?"

"I suppose so." He took a small sip of his cocoa and noticed that Ginny's eyes danced in the firelight. "You have quite the reputation, Ginevra. When are you going to try and seduce me?"

"As soon as you'll let me, Draco. But I know that won't be for a while yet. You also have a reputation. If you tell me mine, I'll tell you yours." She smiled, knowing she had him. Draco may have what he needs on her, but she knew he would die not knowing what others were saying about him.

"As we've already established, yours is using different boys to make Potter jealous while also maintaining your innocence. You play a game where you make whoever you're speaking to feel as though you are ready to do more than snog them behind a tapestry." Ginny smirked at this and drank deeply from her mug. Draco reached out to wipe some of the cocoa from her face and Ginny caught his hand so he couldn't move it. Instead of breaking his arm or any other nonsense she could have done, she put his hand on her knee.

"And yours is going around and having sex with anyone you can, without any emotion and without even giving the poor girl a chance to be with you. Pansy cried about it in the girl's bathroom for days last year." She reached up and brushed Draco's hair back, although he assumed it was fine and looking for retaliation. His next step would put everything he wanted with Ginny Weasley out the window, or it could amp up what he hoped would be their relationship. Taking the fact that Ginny was still leaning towards him with her hand on the back of his neck told Draco all he needed to know. Whatever Ginny expected out of this "date," Draco would make sure he followed through on his promise to treat her like a lady. But first he wanted to kiss her and smell the flowery perfume in her hair and find out what she tasted like. He ran his hand from her knee, up her muscular thigh, and put his hand on the small of her back. He stood up and she was staring up at him in wonder. Smirking, he cupped the back of her neck with his other hand and pulled her mouth closer to his. He felt her take in a breath and saw the wild look in her eye; she thought she was winning!

Inches from her mouth Draco said, "Ginevra Weasley, you are a princess and will be treated as such. I am not interested in fucking you on this table and I won't be for a while." Ginny's eyes were wide and he was so entranced with them that he almost lost himself. He gently tugged the end of her hair with his right hand and used the other to move her head to the side. He was enjoying teasing her and from her breathing, she was as well. Draco placed a gentle kiss on her jawbone and then whispered into her ear, "I would love to fuck you. But what Pansy failed to mention was that we were very good friends and drunk. I don't just go with any girl. And you, Miss Weasley, are not just any girl." He kissed her jaw again and unlocked the door, "I'll see you at dinner, princess." And with that, Draco left Ginny Weasley in the charms classroom, breathing heavily and heart fluttering.


	6. Chapter 6

Ginny sat in the Gryffindor common room, stewing about Draco Malfoy. She thought she would have Draco wrapped around her finger at this point but it was clear that he was not going to be like Dean Thomas; easily swayed and even easier to convince to have sex with her. At the same time, Ginny was excited that Draco was going to be a challenge. She didn't know whether he truly wanted to be with her or to annoy Harry, but Ginny also wasn't sure where her own feelings lay. She liked to spend time with Draco; she learned that these past two days. He was kind and charming, a completely different person on his own; that did concern Ginny. What if Draco was only kind to her in private and was the Draco she'd grown to know all these years?

She couldn't sit around and wait anymore. She could confront him at dinner this evening, force him to speak to her in front of others, but she couldn't wait that long. Ginny Weasley was not one to sit around and wait on things to happen for her, not anymore. She had a few options of places to find him, but she wasn't sure where she should start. If she goes to the Slytherin common room, she would run into the Slytherin students that are staying over Christmas break; if she went to the astronomy tower, Draco could hate her for interrupting his space. Ginny stood, tossed her hair over her shoulder, and walked out the portrait hole. She would just go to the astronomy tower and speak with Draco as candidly as she could.

Ginny didn't see anyone on her way there, but it didn't surprise her. It was still light out and the snow had stopped falling. She had seen some younger Gryffindor's leaving the tower when she was entering and hadn't seen them come back. Instead of focusing on what she was going to say to Draco, Ginny thought about the last Christmas she spent with her family. It was her fifth year, the year before Harry would travel with Ron for a year and her family would be ripped apart by the Dark Lord. She missed her brother's terribly, especially Fred; It was he and George who made her love going outside and playing in the snow. It wasn't the same without him, but she also knew that if she would have gone to Christmas at Harry and Ron's flat, she would have felt awkward and she knew she didn't want to be around Harry right now. All of her life, she was in love with Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived. When he became friends with Ron and her brothers, she knew she'd have to find a way to speak to him and not be so hung up on him. It was Hermione who encouraged her to go out with other guys and while it worked, Hermione didn't expect her to take it to the lengths that she did. But it worked. Ginny was able to date other boys, get to know Harry, and have him fall in her the way she had loved him. She was sad that things weren't working out for them, but she also didn't know what either one of them truly wanted from life now.

As Ginny climbed the final staircase to the astronomy tower, she found herself suddenly nervous. Her inner thoughts about her family and Harry kept her from thinking about confronting Draco too much but as she got closer, she knew she had to figure out what to say. The door was cracked a bit and Ginny slipped in, closing it all the way after. Just as Ginny hoped, Draco was there; leaning against the railing outside, looking down on the grounds and, from what Ginny could hear, students enjoying the snow and the holiday.

"Draco?" He slowly turned around, an even look on his face. Ginny felt her heart skip a beat as she saw the laid back Draco; his hair slightly messed up and wearing a beautiful grey sweater. She gave him a gentle smile and sat in a plush chair near the roaring fire. He gave her a gentle smile and sat in the other chair.

"Hello Ginevra, I was concerned you were mad at me." She giggled and crossed her legs in the chair, flipping her hair over her shoulder again. Draco took a deep breath and Ginny knew the flick had sent the smell of her shampoo over to him.

"The only thing I have to be mad about is you not giving into me. But at the same time, I appreciate it. I want to get to know you Draco. And I do believe you deserve a chance; I'm used to having men wrapped around my finger and using sex to do so." Draco ran his hand through his hair and gave Ginny a small smile. He stood, walked to Ginny's chair and pulled her so that she would be facing him.

Draco kept his legs on the ground but gently pulled on Ginny's so her legs would unwrap, pulling them onto his chair and around him. This forced Ginny to scoot closer to the edge of her chair but she didn't mind. The gentle way Draco touched her, with kindness but also with a gentle demand to do what he wanted, Ginny could tell that Draco was not her opposite as she once believed, but her equal. "You're so opposite of Harry. He wouldn't have done that on his own. I like it though, because I feel like we're so similar."

He smirked and her heart fluttered again. "That's the thing, Ginevra. I'm not going to let you control this relationship. I said I want to have sex with you, but I also want to get to know you, have fun and go on dates with you, possibly fall in love with you. I think you're beautiful, smart, and funny. And I know there's more to you than your body and what you show the world. You've gone face-to-face with the Dark Lord, held your own in the war, and endured more than most of the students here; especially from me."

"Is that your way of apologizing for calling my family blood-traitors your whole life?" Draco chuckled.

"Yes, I suppose it is. But I'm sure you rather here this more: Ginevra Weasley, I am very sorry for all the trouble my family has caused your family. While I was taught to always consider you a blood-traitor, it is the Malfoy family who are the blood-traitors. I'm also very sorry that my father gave you Tom Riddle's diary and allowed you to be controlled in your first year."

"Thank you, Draco. I'm sure life has not been easy for you lately, apologizing." Ginny felt her body get tingles all over and was genuinely touched at Draco's apology. His skin flushed, just slightly, but had she not been sitting so close to him, she wouldn't have noticed.

"It was difficult at first. Father, of course, still refuses to do so. Mother and I quickly learned that not only would we be apologizing for our own indiscretions but his as well. So far, it's been small apologies; other students, general population, and even some of the professors. I have more, of course. To your family, Hargrid, and still, Potter. He saved my life and I'm grateful, but I can't apologize to him. Not yet." Ginny understood; Harry still harbored resentment against Draco, but she knew he wanted to move on from their Hogwarts days as well. Harry is too much like Ron, holding a grudge while Ginny benefited from Hermione and Luna being her best friends; they helped her understand how holding a grudge and being angry affected her. She nodded and waved her wand, making the table zoom closer and magicking two cups of cocoa onto it. Ginny was going to hand Draco's cup to him but he reached for it at the same time, she blushed and went to pull her hand back thinking, 'he's used to people waiting on him, I probably offended him.' Draco, however, must not have felt the same way because instead of picking up the cup, he reached for Ginny's hand and pulled her chin up so she was looking him in the face.

"You are a princess to me. I won't expect or assume you'll do anything for me. I will always try and do things for **you**. I live in a mansion where my mother dotes on me and I have servants who do everything besides feed and bathe me. You lived a life, full of fun and love, where you had to do things for yourself. I want to give you the chance to be doted on; if you're lucky, I might go the extra step and feed you." She gave him a small smile; relieved she hadn't offended him. She wanted him to kiss her, just like this. In his secret hideaway, being totally open and honest with her. But she knew they weren't there yet. It took her three years to kiss Harry, and just hours with the other boys she had dated. Draco was different: his hair, mannerisms, even his apparent approach to dating. Ginny noticed herself staring into his eyes, they were a beautiful shade between blue and grey, so different from Harry's.

"I want to ask you something but I don't want to offend you. Instead, I'll just talk." She took a deep breath but didn't want to give him a chance to say anything and derail her train of thought. "Your eyes are so beautiful. And I keep finding myself hoping you'll kiss me, but I know that this is not who you are. Or I'm gathering that's not who you are. You're so different from Harry, you're very open and honest with me, not that he wasn't. But you're also secretive and perceptive. Your hair is blonde and sleek, you have always been pampered and well taken care of and yet you still want to treat **me** like a princess." Draco dropped his hand from her chin and gently kissed her forehead. She liked the gentle way he kissed her when she says she wants him to and always tries to keep touching her, one way or another. Harry always liked to touch Ginny but he was always awkward when they were just sitting and talking about life. Her favorite thing to do was to sit and talk about life, her hopes and dreams, and her future while Harry only wanted to live in the now.

"Ginevra, I told you I would love to kiss you and be intimate with you. There are too many things about me that if you knew, it could change your mind. I don't want that. I want you to know everything about me so you can know to run away before you steal my heart."

"Draco, please. Tell me. I want this more than I've wanted anything for a long time. I'll tell you a secret, you tell me one, deal?"

"Alright, I'll tell you about living with my father first, okay?"


	7. Chapter 7

Draco couldn't imagine he had let Ginny in on his favorite, secret spot where he goes to think about things. She found him and now he knew his spot was compromised and yet, he was glad she was here. He was disappointed she wanted to kiss him so badly; he couldn't kiss her or more without getting both their hopes up and them both being hurt. He wanted to tell her why this place was so important to him, more than him just doubting the Dark Lord, but he couldn't yet.

"My father, as you know, is not a kind man. He isn't in public nor private, and he's barely even kind to my mother. I was taught to believe I was always better than everyone who is not of the 'Sacred Twenty-Eight' and that, under no circumstances, am I to show any emotion that would be a negative one. As a child, I was never allowed to cry, not even in my room. When I came to Hogwarts, I could show emotions and to cry because he wasn't around. But I always tried to do so in private. That is how I became friends with Myrtle. Now that he is on house arrest, I hoped we would have the chance to be closer but I find it is even harder to spend time with him now than when he was storming about scaring everyone. I once asked my mother why he did not love me and she was so fearful that all she said was 'do not ask such questions and don't let your father hear.' Potter may not have had a family but he always had people looking after him, protecting him, and when he came to the wizarding world, he found a family who loved him like their own. Bullying Father was the only way I could ever get his attention, and it was always threatening to tell Mother about him beating me with his cane; she probably knew though." Ginny reached out and took his hand, it was comforting. The last time anyone besides Ginny touched him was when he and Pansy got too drunk and made a mistake. He still felt bad for her, she had feelings for him for a very long time but Draco never saw her as more than anyone he could mess around with when he was feeling down. She came onto him too strongly and already upset about a row with his father, he drank too much Firewhiskey with her at The Hog's Head and then they were in the bathroom. He thought it was their usual arrangement but at some point, she had said she loved him. Immediately after, he tried to fix it but she did not take it well. It resulted in her spreading nasty rumors about him having sex with younger students and countless other terrible, untrue things about him. He wished he could make it better for her, but no amount of trying helped. Apologizing, although he truly did not need to apologize for his feelings, didn't help either. She was content to stew about how Draco did not want her and he was content with her not glaring at him every five minutes anymore.

"Does your mother love you?" Ginny's eyes were wide with concern. Draco was touched that someone who was taught to hate him cared so much. He understood how her family could take in Potter and Granger so easily. He could even understand why Potter loved her so much.

"Very much so. She lied to the Dark Lord to find me. Don't all mothers love their children in their own way, though? What about your family?" He remagicked fresh cocoa in their cups and noticed that the fire was dying down. He didn't want the day to end but he knew they would need to eat at some point. Draco wanted Ginny Weasley on his arm as they entered the Great Hall, not to prove that he had changed but to show her off and make her someone other than Harry Potter's girlfriend.

"You know all about us. I was the first girl born to the Weasley's for centuries and my mother wanted me dearly. Everyone adored me, except for Ronald. He lived in our brothers' shadows for so long that when I came along and would try and do everything he did to be just like him, he started living in my shadow. Now that he's gone out and made a name for himself, he's happy and he's the best big brother. But it was difficult always having to be the perfect little angel they wanted." Draco realized that Ginny's life may be different from his but she experienced the same thing he did: the desire to be what everyone else wanted while struggling to be true to himself.

"I have always struggled to be who I am supposed to be. And I know you were finally getting to be you when Potter came back and you were immediately on the track to becoming a wife. Pansy believed she would be mine. We would fool around when I was feeling bad about myself and one night after a particularly bad row with my father, she and I were at the Hog's Head and got drunk. We went to far in the bathroom and she took it a step further telling me she loved me. I thought she knew where my feelings stood but she didn't. I tried to explain, to apologize, but she would hear none of it. I'm just glad I never told her this is where I disappear to, after the Room of Requirement was destroyed. This is the place I come to in order to clear my head. Had Snape not stepped in, Dumbledore would still be alive, but my family would be gone. I had changed my mind. I always come here to sit and think about how things could have been or could be. Dumbledore gave me a second chance and I wanted to take it. I want to be a better person than my father." A tear ran down Ginny's face and Draco felt them welling in his eyes as well. He'd never been so open with anyone in his life. What powers did this witch have to make him open up the way he was? "I wasn't going to tell you all of this today. But you just take down all of my walls."

"I'm glad I do, Draco. I am proud of you and who you've become. You are better than your father. By apologizing to me, being so kind to me, and even being so kind to the first and second year students. I don't have any deep secrets, besides the one where I snuck into the Forbidden Forest to make out with Dean one day but I wish I did. I wish I could trade you a deep secret like that." Ginny put her legs on the ground next to Draco's and leaned over so that she was hugging him. He was so deeply moved that he stood her up, awkwardly, so that they were standing and hugging. Almost as soon as they had stood, the tears that were threatening to spill over did and Draco Malfoy was standing in the astronomy tower where Dumbledore was killed, hugging Harry Potter's ex-girlfriend while crying. Had he not been so deeply moved by Ginny's obvious kindness and willingness to overlook his flaws, he would have laughed but he didn't. He held her tighter and rested his cheek on her head. Never having truly been in love before, Draco didn't know what he was feeling at the moment; he did know that he wanted the moment to last forever and to hold Ginny in his arms until he could no longer.

When they had both stopped their silent tears, they took a small step back. One not large enough to separate them, but just big enough to where Draco could look the Weasley girl in the eyes. A beautiful chocolate brown, highlighted by a subtle bit of mascara Draco wouldn't have known was there if it wasn't running down her face. He didn't know what made him do it but that was the moment Draco Malfoy kissed Ginny Weasley; first on her forehead, then on her nose, and finally, on her lips. He had tilted her head up by her chin and wanted to hold her head back by her hair but instead, he placed his other hand on the small of her back. Ginny was not shy in the kiss but her body language said she was, her hands had moved from around his middle to his biceps and she had her small, beautiful hands curled around them as far as they would go. Feeling a little devious after their encounter this morning, Draco gently ran his tongue along the bottom of Ginny's lip and she reacted exactly how he wanted her to, by opening her mouth and allowing their tongues to gently touch and caress the other. After they had pulled apart, Draco was lightheaded and slightly out of breath. Ginny was in worse shape, breathing heavily and flushed under her flaming mane. Running his hand from her temple to the end of her hair, Draco smirked and gave her a slight peck on the lips.

"How was that, princess?" Her grin was the only response he needed. "Good. Let's go eat and show you off to the handful of students staying at Hogwarts."

"I hope we don't give McGonagall a heart attack."

But they laced their fingers through the other's and Draco knew that he was going to have one himself if Ginny got any better than that first kiss. It didn't occur to him until they could hear the noise of the Great Hall that at some point, Harry Potter and the Weasley clan would hear about this. And with Granger back at Hogwarts as well, he knew she would hear a lot more than them sharing their thoughts and a few kisses.


End file.
